Doom Gaze
Doom Gaze is one of the many Unit Abilities available in Master of Magic. With this ability, a unit can make a powerful Special Attack that bypasses almost any type of defense. This attack will, almost always, inflict a set amount of on its target. The strength of a Doom Gaze ability is noted after its name. This indicates the amount of damage delivered by the attack. Only one unit in the game possesses Doom Gaze by default: the Chaos Spawn. No other unit will ever be able to acquire Doom Gaze by any known method. Description One of the many eyes of the Chaos Spawn is capable of shooting a special form of beam made out of refined energy. The intensity of the beam is such that it can go through pretty much any object, and is wide enough to hit any target - making this beam virtually impossible to avoid or block. The same principle can be used by spellcasters to create a Doom Bolt, but the Chaos Spawn does this "naturally" - it is simply a part of its bizarre physical form. Effect Doom Gaze is automatically used whenever the unit engages in Melee combat - whether voluntarily making a Melee Attack against any target, or when Counter Attacking to an enemy assault. When triggered, Doom Gaze makes a single Gaze Attack against the target. This attack delivers Doom Damage, which means that the target does not get to make any rolls nor rolls in order to reduce it. The strength of the Doom Gaze attack is defined after the name of the ability. Thus, Doom Gaze 4 (such as the Chaos Spawn possesses) will deliver exactly to the target. Since the target has no means of blocking or averting this damage, it will always suffer exactly . As a Gaze Attack, Doom Gaze is executed prior to the exchange of Melee Damage between the attacker and the target - simultaneously with damage from First Strike, if applicable, but coming after any Breath Attacks or Thrown Attacks. Any in the target unit that are killed by the Doom Gaze do not get to deliver any Melee Damage nor any damage from their Touch Attack, if they have one. Note that no immunity in the game helps specifically against Doom Gaze, making it useful against pretty much any target. Units with Default Doom Gaze There is only one unit that possesses Doom Gaze by default: Chaos Spawn The Chaos Spawn has several Special Attack abilities, with Doom Gaze being one of the most potent since it cannot be blocked by or rolls. Chaos Spawns have a Doom Gaze of strength 4, which means they deliver exactly to their target. Acquiring Doom Gaze There is no known method of acquiring Doom Gaze for any unit that does not possess it by default. As a result, the only unit that will have this ability during an unmodded game is the Chaos Spawn. However, Heroes may be able to acquire a similar attack. See Doom Damage for more information. Modifying Doom Gaze There are three known effects that can change a unit's Doom Gaze strength: The Chaos Node's aura will raise it, when appropriate, Chaos Surge too, while the spells Black Prayer and Mind Storm will decrease it. When a Chaos Spawn is fighting inside or within the vicinity of a Chaos Node, the aura from the node raises many of its properties by +2, as it would for any other Fantastic Unit from the realm. In addition to basic property bonuses, the Chaos Spawn's Doom Gaze strength is also increased by +2, to a total of 6. This means that the Doom Gaze will deliver exactly instead of the original . The bonus applies only while the Chaos Spawn is fighting near a Chaos Node, it is not permanent. In a similar manner, the Global Enchantment Chaos Surge will improve units associated with the realm, as long it is in effect. This effect is cumulative to the aura of Chaos Nodes. Conversely, The Combat Enchantment Black Prayer will reduce most enemy unit properties by 1. This includes Doom Gaze. Whenever the Mind Storm spell successfully affects a Chaos Spawn, its Doom Gaze strength is reduced by -5, which normally gives it 0 Doom Gaze strength. If this is the case, the Chaos Spawn will not inflict any Doom Damage at all. Moreover, its Death and Stoning Gaze will stop working, making the Chaos Spawn harmless. If a Chaos Spawn is affected by Mind Storm while fighting in the vicinity of a Chaos Node, both effects apply together. Thus, the Chaos Spawn will end up with a Doom Gaze strength of 4 + 2 - 5 = 1. It will thus inflict only 1 Doom Damage point. Category:Abilities